Pokémon Hunger Games
by LonelyRiolu
Summary: What can one Pokémon do when their world has been thrown into a state where population is being controlled by an annual competition in which only one can survive? Not much. But luckily Riolu isn't alone in this nightmare. He finds that there is hope yet for the Pokémon society, even without the Hunger Games. Join Riolu in a fight against the Capitol and the Hunger Games!
1. Chapter 1

Pokémon Hunger Games

Author's note: Hello, everyone. This is LonelyRiolu, the author of The Pokémon Hunger Games fanfiction. Please note that this is my first fanfiction and that I am also not a native English speaker. So grammar and vocabulary errors can possibly take place at certain points but I'll try to keep things as correct as I can. Also, this is my first big writing project and as such can be a tad rusty. But again, I'll try to do my best to bring you a wonderful reading experience. If anyone wants to review my chapters or the entire story when it's finished, that's fine. I'm not expecting a lot of reviews but they would be good feedback and a good way to improve my writing. Also, please note that I do not own The Hunger Games or Pokémon nor am I endorsed by either one in any way. I also make no profit from this, which means I am also going by the laws of copyright. To make sure I am understood and believed, I will refer to the Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

There! Now you can't sue me! Hah! Ok, enough of the legal stuff. Now for what you're really here for. Without further ado, let's jump into my first fanfiction to be published on this site: The Pokémon Hunger Games!

Chapter 1: Introductions

A silent breeze brushed through the grass of the Fighting district. This district was a barren wasteland with very little inhabitants, as it was not favored by The Capitol, the center of the Combined Regions. These regions were once separated but have now been brought together to form one enormous region, Cassiopeia. This region combines the regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos. The makers of all the major decisions are the selected legendary Pokémon of each region. From Kanto, there are Mewtwo and Articuno. From Johto, there are Lugia and Ho-Oh. From Hoenn, there are Rayquaza and Deoxys. From Sinnoh, there are Giratina and Arceus. From Unova, there are Kyurem and Keldeo. And from Kalos, there are Yveltal and Xerneas. Most of them are cruel and merciless. But some wish for a new way to emerge and take the current one's place. Why?

The current one, the Annual Pokémon Hunger Games, which was developed to control the Pokémon population for it had grown too large for the resources to last, has gone too far. It has become a blood sport and the entertainment of Central Cassiopeia's inhabitants. The ones who have to live in most of the 18 districts near the borders of Cassiopeia have very little food, water, materials and money. Every day they live in fear of losing another friend because of hunger, dehydration or even suicide. No hope seems to be given to them.

The districts are divided by type. Therefore there are 18 districts, as there are 18 types of Pokémon. Grass, Fire, Water, Flying, Bug, Electric, Rock, Ground, Steel, Ice, Poison, Psychic, Ghost, Dark, Dragon, Fairy, Fighting and Normal. Some districts are favored by the Capitol. These districts are Grass, Fire, Water, Flying, Electric and Dragon. This is due to these six districts showing exceptional success in the Games. As such, they get more supplies and support from the Capitol than the other 12. These six districts are called the Main Districts. They are rather disliked by the 12 others, which are called the Minor Districts.

In the Fighting district, a small figure sat on a rooftop, staring at the morbid, cloudy sky. This figure was a Riolu. He was worried. This was because the selection of the Hunger Games participants was nearing quickly. He had been training for his whole life just to survive if he ever got selected, yet he had no trust in his abilities. Even his unique aura powers he deemed weak and useless. He felt like his only hope was not to be selected. He jumped down from the roof and landed on one knee with a small thud. He grabbed a bit of sand in his paw. He stared at the sand as he let it flow away from his palm.

"What can one grain of sand among millions do against the society?" Riolu asked, as if expecting the air around him to answer. He smiled at his own question.

_What a fool you are, Riolu. One life can't possibly hope to overthrow the entire system. I'd need an army to do that. But who in their right mind would go against such an enemy as the Capitol? No one_, he thought. He let the rest of the sand fall to the ground and headed back to his house. When he arrived, his friend Mienfoo was waiting for him on the stairs. Well, what was left of them, anyway. The cat Pokémon got up and walked up to his friend. He nudged Riolu's shoulder slightly.

"Hey, Rio! Where the heck have you been? You haven't been giving one of those monologues of yours to yourself again, have you? I know you have, that's all you do nowadays. Come on, let's train! We need to be in shape if either one of us gets selected!" Mienfoo spoke enthusiastically.

Riolu sighed and frowned at Mienfoo, who gave Riolu a confused look.

"Look, Mienfoo. This whole Hunger Games thing is not a game. I know you just turned 12 and you haven't really experienced anything bad concerning the Games but you have to understand that if you get selected, there is a good chance that you'll die and never return. The same could happen to me or anyone we know. You seriously ought to hope you don't get selected. Do you understand me, Mienfoo?" Riolu scolded his young friend. Riolu was five years older than Mienfoo, making him 17 years old. That meant that he had a big chance of being selected, as the older a Pokémon gets, the more tickets with their name on it will be placed in the lottery bowl from which the respective representative of the district pulls two names out. These two names represent the two participants who will be brought to take part in the Games. Riolu had been lucky not to have been selected yet but the odds were getting bigger each year.

"Riolu… Why do you think I'm pressuring you to train? I want both of us to survive the games! The more we train, the bigger a chance we have to survive. So please… Help me and I'll help you" Mienfoo replied, with a much more serious tone to his voice. He extended his paw for a handshake. Riolu stared at Mienfoo and then switched to his paw. He extended his paw as well and took Mienfoo's paw in his. They shook hands and then jumped back. Mienfoo raised its paws up and turned sideways, this being his natural battle stance. Riolu took a more defensive position, extending his right paw forward and the other one he extended backwards. He spread his legs sideways, the right one towards Mienfoo and the other one behind the right one. His paws started to emit small amounts of deep blue aura. Mienfoo smirked and charged at Riolu. Even though Mienfoo was quite fast, Riolu was older and more experienced and therefore was able to easily counter by ducking and grabbing Mienfoo's arm, throwing him a few feet away. Riolu then went back to his stance.

"Head-on attacks are a really bad idea. Any participant will see right through that and you'll be playing the kissing game with the cold, nasty dirt before you can say 'MmphmmphmmphI'm dead'. You have to be able to strategize" Riolu gave advice to his friend. Mienfoo got up and took his stance again. Both smirked and continued to train with each other.

A Kirlia and Sylveon were strolling down the broken pavement of a back alley of a small village in the Fairy district. They were good friends. Kirlia was 16 years old and Sylveon was 18. However, their friendship would soon fall to fade, as Sylveon was severely sick and had no cure. She hadn't told Kirlia yet, but she felt that it would only give her more to carry. So she kept quiet about it and tried to smile whenever Kirlia was around, even though she was hurting every single second.

"Listen, Kirlia" Sylveon said quietly. Kirlia glanced at her always cheerful friend to notice a glummer, sad expression on her face.

"What's wrong, Sylveon? You look like nothing I've seen before. Are you… Sad?" Kirlia inquired. Sylveon raised her head, seeming slightly more cheerful.

"Nothing unusual, I'm just worried about the Hunger Games selection that's coming up. I just hope you don't get picked" Sylveon said, obviously worried about her friend, even if it was an emergency lie. Kirlia turned to look at the sky, her eyes glowing like Dazzling Gleam. She placed her hands on her chest.

"I'm sort of torn apart. On one hand, I don't want to be selected because, you know… The death risks. But on the other hand I do want to get picked!"

"What?! Are you insane? Who in their right, hell, even wrong mind would want to be taken to an almost certain death?" Sylveon asked her younger friend with anger and shock in her voice at the same time.

"It's… It's because of my sister… She found her love on the Hunger Games field and rebelled against the Capitol. I want to be like her. I want to go against unnecessary deaths as well! I want to follow my brave sister's footsteps and, maybe, find someone to do it with me. Someone to entrust myself to", Kirlia spoke, almost indifferent to Sylveon's rebuke. Sylveon sighed and hid her face behind her paw.

"Why is it that you always find a way to sound so devoted and nutty at the same time?" Sylveon asked, slightly rhetorically. Kirlia laughed out loud and put her hand behind her friend's shoulder. Sylveon felt a current of pain run through her whole body but didn't flinch so as to conceal her condition from Kirlia.

"Oh, don't be such a worry fairy. If I get picked, I'll just have to try not to get killed. That's all, right?" Kirlia said, sounding unaware of how dangerous the Games could be. Sylveon sat on the thin layer of snow that covered the ground.

"And that's no big whoop at all!" she said, clearly sounding sarcastic. Kirlia looked at the stars, which the Fairy district used as a way to tell time. She gasped in shock.

"I'm late for my training session with Grandma Gardevoir! I have to get going! See ya, Sylveon!" Kirlia exclaimed and then teleported off. Sylveon was left sitting there, in the snow. She winced in pain, finally being able to let the pain loose. She grunted and then looked at the sky.

"What am I going to do with you, Kirlia?"

In the Normal district an Eevee was running away from some bullies she had had for as long as she could remember. She ran, ran like crazy, but the bigger, stronger and faster children were catching up way too quickly for her to make it to her house. She hid in a back alley, hoping to lose them in the narrow spaces. But no, the leader of the bunch, Watchog, was able to squeeze in just fine and grabbed her in no time. He then brought Eevee back in the open so all of his pals could gang up on her. She wept and sobbed, wishing someone, anyone, would save her. But no one seemed to be coming. So she braced herself for yet another cruel beating. She had hoped for rescue, but she knew it wasn't coming. The Normal district was the most neglected of all the districts. As a result, the Pokémon living there also become very heartless, almost empty of all empathy for others. The strong survive, the weak are trash. Disposable, worthless and easy subjects for others to pick or even live on, like leeches. It's not like the Main districts. It's a cruel, unforgiving place where "no mercy" is the rule anyone who wants to survive usually abides by.

Eevee knew this, and she also knew that no help was on its way. It never was and it never would be. She was destined to be tormented by cruelty all her life. She had already given up crying and just fell limp to the ground, ready to be beaten again. She closed her eyes as the bullies surrounded her and…

Nothing. She felt nothing. No pain, no laughter, no ripping her fur or pulling her ear. No kicks, no scratches, not even names. What did this mean? She got up and opened her eyes to see a white ferret-like Pokémon cutting a very deep wound on Watchogs's chest. She also saw the other bullies lying on the ground, unconscious and curled up, as if having been beaten near death. She watched in awe, scared as she was, when this white Pokémon tossed Watchog at a wall. This savior of Eevee then turned around. It had an angry expression. Eevee got down on her stomach, closing her eyes and curling her tail around her as well as she could. She thought this Pokémon was just another violent one, looking for more bloodshed. But then she felt herself being lifted. Not from her tail, but her whole body being lifted on safe, comfortable arms. She carefully glanced up to see the same, white Pokémon, but now with a kind, warm smile on its face rather than a "You're going to make a great scratch pole"-face. The white Pokémon spoke, his voice soothing Eevee immediately.

"Hey there, little one. Are you all alone here? My name is Zangoose, and I can teach you how to defend yourself, maybe even survive a potential Hunger Games incident. What do you say, Eevee? Do we have a deal?"

Riolu and Mienfoo were panting, neither one planning on giving up anytime soon. Their eyes were locked in an intense gaze that would have crumbled even a Snorlax. Both had enough determination to last for a lifetime, maybe even two. But Mienfoo, being the younger, less experienced fighter didn't have as durable a physique as Riolu. This led to him collapsing out of exhaustion and the pain Riolu's Force Palm had left lingering in his torso. He fell to the ground and Riolu rushed over to see if his friend was alright. He kneeled in front of Mienfoo and flipped him on his side in order to let him breathe more easily. Mienfoo opened his eyes and squinted, as the pain was still very much there. He tried getting up but, stubborn as he was, he could not manage it. Riolu pushed him back to a more relaxed position.

"Just stay down, Mienfoo. You did great but you also need to know when to quit. You can't just waste all of your energy or you won't last one minute in the Games. You need to spare energy and also try to avoid any unnecessary fights. That's what I'd suggest; staying out of harm's way as long as possible. That way you won't, you know, die as easily", Riolu advised his friend. Mienfoo smiled and sat up. He held his left shoulder, which was in most pain at that moment.

"I guess you're right. Well, you always are. That's really no surprise. But still, if I just hide and run away, I'll seem like a coward, which is unbearable for my family and bloodline. We Mienfoo and Mienshao are a brave, noble species that have a great sense of pride and honor. If one of us were to disgrace the name of the species, it wouldn't be seen as very admirable. I don't want to disappoint my family, Riolu", Mienfoo countered. Riolu sighed and sat down next to Mienfoo.

"Look, Mienfoo. I know you take great pride in your species, as do I. But sometimes your own safety comes before such trivial stuff as pride or honor. You do want to live, don't you? If you would rather die with honor than live without it, I'd say you're already dead. No sense in foolish acts, right? If honor gives you so much trouble that you start considering death as an option, it's best to just forget pride altogether. Life is more important than reputation", Riolu argued against Mienfoo's honor-centered mindset.

"But if life is going to be this", Mienfoo said as he gestured at the entire Fighting district, "then I'm not sure about what you're saying, Riolu. Is life really worth living if there's nothing to come back to?" Mienfoo asked sadly. Riolu got up and offered a hand to Mienfoo, who in return took it and Riolu helped his friend stand up.

"You've got me, Mienfoo. Your friend. Even though I may be mulish and hurtfully honest, I'm still your friend and I'll stay that way as long as time still flows", Riolu finished. Mienfoo shook hands with Riolu and then both went their own ways, Mienfoo having his family and Riolu having… No one to go back to. He gazed at the sky. He secretly longed for the day he would find someone to protect, someone to devote himself to. Little did he know, at this very moment, a certain other Pokémon was watching the sky, her eyes shining brightly like Dazzling Gleam.

(The next morning)

Eevee woke up in a shabby house. She looked out of the window and saw that it was near the border of the Normal district. She had never been here and she first wondered about how she had gotten there. Then she saw a note on her desk. She took it on her bed and started reading.

"Hello and good morning to you, Eevee. I hope you slept well because sleep is what you're going to need during this last week before the selections. I'm going to be training you in combat, survival skills and strategy, as well as telling you who you should consider making alliances with." Eevee wondered what alliances were, having never heard of them before. She continued reading.

"I hope you're ready to get tough! Your new tutor, Zangoose." Now Eevee remembered why she was there. She had been rescued by Zangoose, who then had taken her under his wing, or more like claw, in order to make her stronger. She jumped out of bed and shook the sleepiness off. She then headed out of her room and into the kitchen, which she found with the help of the delicious smell of pancakes and tea. She almost floated into the kitchen, being enchanted by the smell. She came in and, sure enough, Zangoose had made pancakes and tea for breakfast. There was jam, too! Eevee's eyes multiplied in size at the sight of the table. She blissfully jumped on the chair and her mouth fell open. Drool was flooding from her mouth.

"I take it you like my way of starting a day?" Zangoose said happily, trying to hold in laughter, as Eevee's reaction amused him ever so much. He had to put his claws in from of his mouth to hold it. Eevee turned her gaze to Zangoose and went from happy to confused in zero seconds flat.

"What's so funny?" Eevee asked. Zangoose had partially recovered and pulled his claws off of his mouth. His smile was still twitchy and uncontrollable, though.

"Oh, nothing", Zangoose said, trying to seem like noting out of the ordinary had happened. He offered a pancake to Eevee to keep her busy as he recovered with a nice sip of tea. Luckily Eevee fell for the distraction and started stuffing her face with pancakes. Zangoose almost spat his tea out of his mouth like a Hydro Pump. He swore he couldn't keep a straight face with this kid much longer. He ate a pancake himself and then got up. Eevee looked at him, her face covered in jam. Zangoose managed to keep his cool and not completely crack up. He then spoke with a more serious voice than before.

"Now that we've eaten, or rather destroyed the breakfast, we can get down to business. Meet me in the backyard in ten minutes so we can start your training", Zangoose said and then exited the room. After he closed the door of the kitchen, he grabbed a pillow off a couch and buried his face into it, laughing like a maniac. He was happy he had made it without laughing, as he didn't want to laugh at Eevee because of what she had been through. She needed a strong caretaker and Zangoose wanted to show that he was up to the task.

_I just hope that the next mornings won't be as ridiculous as this one. I'm doomed if she keeps that up, _Zangoose thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Zangoose had somehow managed not to crack under Eevee's hilarity. He had also managed to teach her quite a lot about the Hunger Games and how she could survive them. She had been a very vigilant student, taking everything Zangoose said seriously, training every day, learning the most beneficial moves, learning how to utilize her Ability, Adaptability, what alliances were, who she should consider making them with and how she could make them the easiest. Zangoose was very proud of her. On the morning of the selections Zangoose called Eevee to his backyard for the last time. When she arrived, Zangoose put his face in order, serious and stern. He stood up straight, towering above Eevee like an adamant pillar. She sat in front of him, looking as eager as ever.

"Eevee. Today is the day the participants for the Hunger Games are selected. You must remember that if you get picked, keep your cool and don't panic. Every single participant is just as nervous and reluctant as you are. Try to appear friendly to others, but not in a way that makes you an easy target when the games begin. If you appear soft, they'll come after you first. Act tough but social and you'll be able to make useful partners." Zangoose ended his speech and then gestured Eevee to follow him.

"Come on, the ceremony will begin shortly. We don't want to be late."

"Ok, Master Zangoose", Eevee said cheerfully.

_Oblivious as ever. She really doesn't know just how dangerous the games can be, _Zangoose thought.

Riolu heard a hard knock on the door. He went to open it.

"Who's there?" he asked. Suddenly the door flew in, as if someone had kicked it hard. Riolu wasn't prepared for a door assault and therefore got slammed in the face with it. At the entrance was Mienfoo, having just kicked the door in.

"The door!" he shouted and then fell on the floor, laughing. Riolu jumped back up and walked over to where Mienfoo was rolling in joy, having stomach pains from laughing too hard. Riolu grabbed Mienfoo's leg and threw him a good ten feet away, right into a pile of trash. Mienfoo appeared from the garbage hill and walked back to Riolu. He was still smiling.

"Why the angry face, Riolu?" Mienfoo asked, holding in another burst of laughter.

"Because now I have to make you fix the door", Riolu replied. Mienfoo's expression changed in a split second. His blissful smile became a look of horror.

"Right after the ceremony, of course", Riolu added. Mienfoo wiped sweat off of his forehead.

"Thank goodness. I thought I was going to miss it. I wouldn't want to be absent if I was picked", Mienfoo said, relieved.

"Alright then. Let's get going", Riolu said, running off into the direction of the town square. Mienfoo followed him.

Kirlia was on her way to the selection ceremony. She met Sylveon on the way.

"Hey, Sylveon! How are you?" Kirlia greeted her friend and patted Sylveon on the back, making her feel a huge surge of pain take over but somehow Sylveon managed not to screech in pain. She was planning on telling Kirlia in the ceremony, but she felt like she shouldn't show any signs yet. She didn't want Kirlia to volunteer because she couldn't go. If Kirlia got picked, Sylveon would volunteer and Kirlia would be safe. But the way Kirlia would take her news was still a mystery. Sylveon had no idea how Kirlia would react when she found out. But she had to be told. Sylveon couldn't just drop dead all of a sudden, that would be suspicious.

"So, Sylveon. I know you're hiding something from me. That one night when you said that you were just worried about the selections, you were hiding something from me. My psychic powers can tell if someone is lying, and you were. I want you to tell me what's wrong. What is it you don't want me to hear?" Kirlia questioned her friend, sounding frustrated. Sylveon couldn't believe Kirlia had found out she was hiding something. She was speechless. She just stared at her friend with a shocked expression plastered on her face.

"I thought friends could share anything with each other, Sylveon. Why are you lying to me?" Kirlia continued her questioning.

"Because… Because I didn't want you to worry about me! You have enough problems, what with the Hunger Games, you don't need me to be worried about as well!" Sylveon replied, her voice cracking and the pain slowly taking over her.

"I didn't want you to find out that I was sick!" She continued. Kirlia's face went from frustration to shock in a mere second.

"S-Sick? What kind of sick?" Kirlia asked worriedly. Sylveon sighed.

"Lethal. My illness has no cure, and I'm going to die very soon. I was planning on telling you during the ceremony but since you found out, I guess it might as well be now", Sylveon said, tears flowing down on her face. She sobbed, the pain weakening her every second.

"We need to get you to a hospital!" Kirlia shouted.

"My illness cannot be cured. It won't matter where I am. In a hospital, on the street, in a ditch, being impaled in the Games… Nothing matters. I'll die no matter what anyone does" Sylveon broke it to Kirlia, who fell on the ground, completely crushed. Her eyes were filled with bitter tears. Her mouth twitched uncontrollably.

"Kirlia… Let's get to the ceremony. If you get picked, I'll volunteer so you can live another year. It'll be for the best" Sylveon suggested, putting her paw on Kirlia's shoulder. But she pushed it off.

"How could you say that?! How could you volunteer instead of me?! I want you to live as long as possible! You will stay here in the Fairy district no matter what! If you get picked, I'll go and you can't stop me!" Kirlia shouted, her voice cracking just as much as Sylveon's. The two walked the rest of the trip in silence, wishing for the same thing: Sylveon not being sick.

The selection ceremony began at 12.00 in all of the 18 districts. The representatives of every district stepped forward to announce the two participants of their district.

In the Grass district a Serperior took two names out of the bowl.

"Grovyle and Tangrowth!"

In the Fire district a Pyroar stepped forward.

"Monferno and Quilava!"

In the Water district a Crawdaunt stepped forward.

"Frogadier and Floatzel!"

In the Flying district a Braviary stepped forward.

"Skarmory and Swellow!"

In the Electric district a Manectric stepped forward.

"Electabuzz and Luxray!"

In the Dragon district a Salamence stepped forward.

"Hydreigon and Garchomp!"

In the Rock district a Rhyperior stepped forward.

"Golem and Barbaracle!"

In the Ground district a Krookodile stepped forward.

"Sandslash and Vibrava!"

In the Steel district an Aggron stepped forward.

"Magnezone and Metagross!"

In the Poison district a Garbodor stepped forward.

"Toxicroak and Drapion!"

In the Ice district an Abomasnow stepped forward.

"Weavile and Glalie!"

In the Ghost district a Gengar stepped forward.

"Froslass and Trevenant!"

In the Psychic district a Mr. Mime stepped forward.

"Gallade and Alakazam!"

In the Dark district a Liepard stepped forward.

"Absol and Inkay!"

In the Bug district a Vespiquen stepped forward.

"Scizor and Heracross!"

In the Normal district a Slaking stepped forward.

"Zangoose and…" he yawned in between the names. "…Eevee." Eevee and Zangoose looked at each other in both horror and gladness. At least Zangoose was there to keep Eevee safe.

In the Fighting district a Sawk stepped forward.

"Hawlucha and Riolu!" Riolu punched his fist into his palm and wore an angry expression on his face. _I'm not going to die here_, he said to himself in his head. Mienfoo put his hand on Riolu's shoulder.

"Be careful out there, buddy", Mienfoo said. Riolu nodded and walked to the stage.

In the Fairy district an Aromatisse stepped forward.

"Slurpuff and Sylveon!"

"I volunteer as tribute!" Kirlia shouted. The whole crowd stirred.

"What are you doing?" Sylveon screamed at her friend. But Kirlia didn't answer and just walked on the stage. She winked at Sylveon, who couldn't take her eyes off Kirlia. _The idiot actually volunteered_, she thought. She then headed off towards her house, her head hanging low, tears marking her path. When she reached her house, she wrote a letter to Kirlia, put it in her mailbox so it would be delivered and then collapsed on her stairs, her illness having finally overpowered her. Her eyes fluttered, struggling to stay open. _Kirlia… Win the games… Come back alive… Find what you're looking for_, she wished just until her eyes finally closed for


End file.
